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Summit County 4×4 Trails

It’s that time again to share some more popular Colorado 4×4 Trails! If you’re near I-70 and looking for some fun trails to go offroad, these are some great locations to take your rig. With all that Colorado has to offer, take advantage of these trails whether you’re a beginner or an expert!

Image Courtesy of FDP

Humbug Hill

Skill Level: Easy

Trail Length: 9.3 Miles

Nearby Towns: Breckenridge

Elevation: 10,066 to 11,085 feet

This particular trailhead is great for the beginner offroad enthusiast, or anyone who just wants to get outside and explore some amazing scenery. It’s a short distance from the Georgia Pass trailhead and the American Gulch trailhead. Known for its great scenery and variety of activities, Hambug Hill has a lot of surrounding trails including Georgia Pass, Gold Run Gulch, Summit Gulch and Brewery Hill. There are steep hills, spurs and a variety of rocks and boulders to climb here.

To get to Humbug Hill, take I-70 West from Denver and then to Highway 9 towards Breckenridge. Just north of Breckenridge take Tiger Road towards County Road 6 and Georgia Pass. Hop onto Georgia Pass and then turn right at the trailhead towards Humbug Hill.

Chihuahua Gulch

Skill Level: Challenging

Trail Length: 2 Miles

Nearby Towns: Keystone

Elevation: 10,400 to 11,270 feet

This trail is maintained by a local 4×4 club so it’s a great trail to explore with confidence that it will be a fun and safe experience. This 4×4 trail has some amazing views of the mountains and other activities to partake in such as hiking and fishing. There is a variety of terrain to experience including river crossings, rock crawling and some mud to play in.

The trail starts two miles down from Peru Creek and immediately starts uphill in a rocky section. There are different sections throughout the trail where you can choose different varieties of rocks to crawl over. After about half a mile going down the trail, the first river crossing will appear and shortly after the trail will become marshy. Take this section slowly as it could be very muddy. The remainder of the trail continues to be challenging and eventually ends at a hiking trailhead.

CC Image courtesy of indigoprime on Flickr

Glacier Ridge

Skill Level: Challenging

Trail Length: 3 Miles

Nearby Towns: Jefferson

Elevation: 11,500 to 12,800 feet

This trial includes a lot of steep hill climbs, high elevations and close encounters with cliffs and ledges. While the trail isn’t very difficult, it can be dangerous if you’re not careful. The initial climb isn’t too challenging , but it won’t be too long until the first 4-way intersection is reached. Continue straight and you’ll reach the first of two big hill climbs. It’s long and the rocks are very loose so you will need 4wd. The trail then continues at a high elevation with steep drop offs on both sides. Be very careful here and take it slow. When the trail drops down into a ridge, continue to follow and you’ll eventually see the second hill. At the end of this hill the trail is almost over but you’ll reach a flat top with fantastic views.

Elliott Ridge

Skill Level: Easy

Trail Length: 28 Miles

Nearby Towns: Kremmling

Elevation: 7,550 to 11,200 feet

This is an easy, but long drive which will allow you to explore the area west of Green Mountain Reservoir. This drive connects to the nearby Eagles Nest trail which branches off onto other trails in the area.

Starting at Highway 9 just north of Green Mountain Reservoir and north of the Williams Peak Road trailhead. It starts at pavement, crosses over the Blue River and then turns into a wide and well-maintained dirt road. A sign will eventually come into view pointing towards Elliott ridge. The first intersection is a trail for the Eagles Nest trail at a fork in the road. Stay to the left to stay on Elliott Ridge, which will eventually turn into a section of shelf road that is narrow. When the trail turns south and away from the shelf you will come to forest service road 1832. Stay on this road until it ends, and you’ll reach a great place to park if you feel like hiking to Mahan Lake or the Gore Range hiking trail. There is a lot of great scenery to take advantage of with trails to follow along so bring a camera!

Before taking your vehicle offroad, it’s always a good idea to visit your 4×4 mechanic for a full inspection and 4×4 service. Make sure all aftermarket parts and 4×4 parts are installed correctly, and always try to use the buddy system on your journey.